We'd really appreciated it. “He took our offer because we offered him full creative reign.” Kanye had previously hinted at this reasoning, but confirmation from an adidas executive shows how much faith the German sportswear giant has in the talents of the 38-year-old rapper-turned-designer. Among many things discussed, Ye dived deep into his experiences collaborating with Nike and the eventual dissolution of their relationship. Her fiancé Kanye West recently left Nike to sign a lucrative new deal with Adidas. Kanye West and Adidas have finally ... with a positive message about perseverance and creativity, Yeezy’s subtext was a middle finger raised in Nike’s direction. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. 2021 Hypebeast Limited. Kanye West just took to the radio waves in New York to un-officially announce his new deal with adidas. While on Hot 97's Angie Martinez show, the musician shed some light about what caused the deterioration of his relationship with Nike. In 2018, West brazenly called out Nike, suggesting the brand’s M2K Tekno silhouette was a rip-off of his Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 Wave Runner. Another episode in the life of Azealia Banks. Bearing a striking similarity to the Nike Air Yeezys, many were left unconvinced if Kanye was a one trick pony when it came to sneaker designs. Although he eventually deleted the tweet. In November 2013, Kanye West spoke about frustrations with Nike regarding the shoe's availability. If it’s $2 billion, he makes $100 million a year off of five percent royalties. On the heels of the aforementioned limited-edition Air Max 180, 2009 saw Nike tap Kanye West for what was, at the time, the first ever signature shoe given to a non-athlete. Rumors have swirled that Kanye West and wife Kim Kardashian are giving up on California ever since it was reported that the rapper had purchased a $14 million “monster ranch” in Cody, Wyoming. The sneaker endorsement arms race has officially reached a new level. Although he eventually deleted the tweet. The Nike Air Yeezy, which released during Spring/Summer 2009, was designed throughout 2007 and 2008 by West, Nike creative director Mark Smith and Nathan VanHook. This ultimately led West to reach out to Adidas. Kanye West Explains Why He Is Partnering With adidas Instead of Nike on Hot 97’s Angie Martinez Show Posted by Andy B. under Fashion , Good For Hip Hop [6] Comments After almost a year’s worth of on-stage rants and radio interviews, Kanye West has … adidas Global Director of Entertainment Jon Wexler has taken to Twitter to shed some light on the reasoning behind Kanye West’s decision to leave Nike for adidas. In honor of New York’s beloved baseball team. Recently, Kanye West sat with Charlamagne tha God for an eye-opening interview. [Nike] said, 'We can't give you a royalty because you're not a professional athlete,'" Kanye explained. So it seems Kim Kardashian may have made a rather embarrassing faux pas when she decided to … This was, in fact, one of the reasons Kanye left Nike; he felt they weren’t allowing him to express his creativity as an artist. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. According to FOX Sports, Kanye West's issues with the Charlotte Hornets owner centered on the singer's shoe brand, Yeezy. For his part, Jordan's brand of shoes are one of Nike's most successful lines of all time. In 2013, after the release of the "Red October" Air Yeezy 2s, Kanye West officially left Nike. However, that didn’t stop from the hype being ignited. Geller … West was formerly in business with Nike, but left the company back in 2013 and subsequently signed a contract with Nike's rival, Adidas. West said that his decision to leave wasn't an easy one, but was based on having to provide for his family, which had recently included the addition of children. © Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Royalties, as mentioned, were a big reason for the split. Kanye West's adidas YEEZY QNTM Appears in New “Flaora” Colorway, Kanye West's adidas YEEZY BOOST 700 To Release in "Bright Blue", Kanye West's Popular adidas YEEZY FOAM RNNR To Release in "Mineral Blue", Kanye West's adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 Enters New Era with the "Mono Pack", The Game Reveals 'Documentary 2' a Double Album, and Calls Out Slim Jesus, Nike Free Mercurial Superfly SP "Yankees", Stone Island x Porter 80th Anniversary Collaboration Collection, Azealia Banks Loses It On a Plane, Calls Attendant Profanaties. Nike Air Yeezys: a limited run. Mentioning the cloudiness of the Red October release, Kanye also talked about asking the brand for a percentage of sales, a la Michael Jordan and his eponymous basketball line. Yesterday, after rapper Kanye West revealed he was leaving Nike to sign with … Get a first official look at New York Giants player Victor Cruz’s new signature sneaker. If you believed this, you probably bought the “story” a few months ago that Michael Jordan left Jordan Brand too. Not only did he debut the adidas Yeezys to the world, he also showed Nike that he was moving forward. Michael Jordan got five percent of that business. Kanye West did not leave adidas for Nike for $110 million, it was merely a hoax. "The old me, without a daughter, would’ve taken the Nike deal because I just love Nike so much," Kanye said. Simply, he wanted more. All Rights Reserved. I'm a performance athlete.". 'They try to act like people ain't line up for the Yeezys,' Kanye West … News from adidas on an official partnership is still to come. At one point, West said he would turn down a $1 billion deal from the Swoosh. The rumors intensified when it was revealed the couple, who have four children, are touring schools near the 4,500-acre property. Kanye continued to say that Nike even approached him to create a two collections of 30 items a year after hearing him talk about the sports brand with Zane Lowe during a BBC Radio interview earlier this year. If you enjoy our content, please add us to your adblocker's whitelist. Follow Jon Wexler on Twitter for any candid outbursts in the near future. Only months after would rumors become reality. However, another key reason is that Nike didn't want to devote as large a supply chain to Yeezy products, despite their success, as he isn't an athlete. While on Hot 97 's Angie Martinez show, the musician shed some light about what caused the deterioration of his relationship with Nike. Privacy Policy. Prior to Kanye West’s May 18, 2013 SNL performance to promote Yeezus – an abrasive (and at that time unfinished) album amplified by unrest in the fashion industry with a promo run and tour fueled by smoke directed at Nike – Kim Kardashian would share on IG a photo of the album’s artwork next to an all-red Yeezy 2. While West is wearing a YEEZY on his right foot, one can't help but notice the wildy designed Nike ISPA Air Max 720 on his left. (It’s actually called that: Monster Lake Ranch). "I told them I go to the [arena] and play one-on-none. Kanye and Adidas are linked in the minds of the public since KUWTK star Kanye's sneaker designs for Adidas are prized, including Yeezy Boost 350 V2s. Kanye has spoken very highly of Smith as both a collaborator and designer, and Smith has said the same of Kanye, stating that he is "a truly creative talent" and a "natural designer." "But the new me, with a daughter, takes the adidas deal.". “I still left [Nike], because they weren’t giving me the opportunity to grow. HYPEBEAST® is a registered trademark of Hypebeast Hong Kong Ltd. Gain access to exclusive interviews with industry creatives, think pieces, trend forecasts, guides and more. "You can't tell a Black man not to wear Jordans," West says to Cannon with a laugh during the interview. Although West described this break as "heartbreaking", he claimed that Nike would not pay him royalties for his shoe designs, instead offering to pay some of the proceeds to a charity of West's choice. Off of their collaborative EP ‘Taking Flight.’. Kanye express The innovative shoe is priced at $210. We charge advertisers instead of our readers. “They offered him more money than we did,” explained Wexler. Terms & Conditions In 2018, West brazenly called out Nike, suggesting the brand’s M2K Tekno silhouette was a rip-off of his Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 Wave Runner. The Nike Air Yeezys that dropped in 2009, 2012 and 2014 were, in every way, a manifestation of West’s desire to reach iconic Air Jordan status. Although the offer was of interest to the musician, he still passed because there wasn't a promise of him getting a bigger cut of the profits. The business relationship between Kanye and Adidas is profitable and seems to be positive in terms of giving both parties cachet. Editor-in-Chief, Sole Collector adidas Global Director of Entertainment Jon Wexler has taken to Twitter to shed some light on the reasoning behind Kanye West’s decision to leave Nike for adidas. Overseer, Complex Sneakers. West alluded to switching from Adidas to Nike. West has always had big ambitions – his first footwear line showed as much – but none has come close to what Nike created with Air Jordan. This is Why Kanye Left Nike. "At least give me some royalties. They were working off an old business model, and [Nike founder and chairman] Phil Knight was somewhere on an island. The Nike Air Yeezy was developed from 2007 to 2009 by rapper Kanye West, Nike Creative Director Mark Smith and later Nathan Van Hook. He’s now with Adidas and … Shoezeum Owner Jordan Geller and Bloomberg Businessweek’s Kyle Stock discuss rapper Kanye West switching his endorsement from Nike to Adidas.